Cigar and cigarette lighter



y 1941- L. E. STANARD 2,240,678

CIGAR AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed April 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nyieliffifanard M Attorney In uentor May 6, 1941- L. E. STANARD CIGAR ANDCIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed April 26. 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1n ventor Z Za'fiian arc? M o By W ma.

Aiiorney Patented May 6, 1 941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGAR. ANDCIGARETTE LIGHTER Lyle, E. Stanard, Three Rivers, Mich. ApplicationApril '26, 1940, Serial No. 331,884

4 Claims.

. This invention relates to portable cigar and cigarette lighters, andamong the objects of the invention are (1) to provide a lighter of thischaracter which is safe and efiicient in operation, (2) to provide alighter of this character through the medium of which a cigar orcigarette may be lit out of doors without inconvenience due to excessivewind, (3) to provide a cigarette lighter that is characterized byeconomy of structure and alsoof maintenance, and (4) to provide acigarette lighter of this character which can be easily and efficientlyoperated to the advantage of the user thereof.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be bestunderstood from a study of the following description taken in connection7 with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the lighter with the cover thereof in closed position.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a switch contact strip.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that in thepreferred embodiment thereof the cigar and cigarette lighter comprises arelatively flat substantially rectangular casing 5 having at the topthereof an integral wall 6, and for the bottom thereof a removableflanged bottom plate I that telescopes the casing 5 as shown.

Further, for the casing 5 there is provided a substantiallychannel-shaped cover, or lid 8, that at one end thereof is hinged to anend wall of the casing 5 through the medium of a spring hinge 9, thesame serving to yieldably and normally urge the lid or cover 8 to anopen position.

For releasably retaining the cover or lid 8 in a closed position thereis provided a spring latch ID that at one end is anchored to a wall ofthe casing 5 as at II. The latch member ID extends through a slot [2provided therefor in the Wall 6 and is cooperable with a keeper lug I3provided on an end wall of the cover or lid 8 as clearly shown in Figure3.

Further, in accordance with the present invention there are provided aplurality of batteries,

preferably three, N that are accommodated within the casing 5 and seaton the humps I5 of a substantially sinuous conductor ribbon IS thelatter being Welded or otherwise secured to a strip ll of dielectricmaterial.

When properly positioned within the casing 5 the batteries l4 are inperipheral contact and the poles 18 thereof are in electrical contactwith a battery connector plate IS, the same being anchored or secured inthe upper portion of the casing 5 through the medium of strips 20 ofinsulation material secured in any suitable manner to opposing walls ofthe casing 5 and connected with depending flanges 2| of the connectorplate I!) through the medium of braces 22 which at one end are integralwith or otherwise positively united with the strips 20; and at anopposite end integral with or otherwise positively united with theflanges 2| of the connector plate 19.

Also in electrical contact with the periphery of one of the endmostbatteries I4 is a sinuous conductor ribbon 23 that is also welded to orotherwise positively secured to a strip 24 of similar material that ispreferably secured in any suitable manner to an end wall of the casing5.

At one end thereof the conductor strip 23 has a terminal part 23a thatoverlaps and is in electrical contact with the terminal part Ilia of theconductor strip l6,

At the opposite or upper end thereof the strip 23 is formed as at 25 topresent what may be termed the stationary contact of an electric switchindicated generally by the reference numeral 26.

In addition to the stationary contact 25 the aforementioned switch 26embodies a movable contact 2'! in the form of a resilient strip rivetedor otherwise secured as at 28 to the wall 5 of the casing; a piece 29 ofinsulating material being interposed between the wall 6 and anintermediate portion of the strip 21 as clearly shown.

One end of the contact 21 is arranged to be flexed into and out ofengagement with the contact 25 and that said one end is suitably engagedby the shank of a switch button 30; the shank of said button beingmovable thru a suitable opening provided therefor in the wall 6 of thecasing. The said switch contact end of the strip 21 is normally flexedupwardly and out of engagement with the switch contact 25 and the buttonis normally held in raised position through the medium of a coil spring3| interposed between the wall 6 of the casing and the head of thebutton 30 as shown in Figure 3.

An ignition element indicated generally by the reference numeral 32 isprovided, and in this form of the invention said element embodies a body33 of dielectric material in the form of porcelain, glass or similarmaterial; the same being preferably 01 the shape shown and seatingwithin a suitable opening 34 provided therefor in the wall 6. As notedthe body 33 of the heating element is provided with an outstandingperipheral flange 35 that seats against the top surface of the wall 6.

Embedded in the body 33 of the heating element is a thermal ribbon 36arranged in the form of a coil and having a terminal 36a projectinglaterally from the body 33 and in direct and immediate contact with oneend of the switch contact strip 21. v

The other end, 36b, of the ignition coil 36 is engaged by a coil spring31 that seats on the battery connector bar l9 and serves as anelectrical connection between the ignition coil 36 and the connector barI9; the spring being expansible and contractible as may be requiredbecause of the space between the end 362) of the ignition coil 36 andthe connector bar l9.

Further completing the assembly there is provided what may be termed afiller strip 33 secured to or otherwise held in contact with the innersurface of a wall of the casing 5 directly opposite to the conductorstrip 23 and having humps 38a in bearing contact with an adjacentbattery I.

Also arranged onto opposite walls of the casing 5 are strips 39 ofinsulating material and which, together with the strips 36 and 23 serveto retain the batteries H in fixed position within the casing, inintermediate contact with one another and against casual displacement.

With the device assembled as shown and described, the same may be usedas follows: The latch member ID is flexed out of engagement with thekeeper lug l3 by pressure of the thumb or finger on the stud or knob 40provided as shown in Figure 3 for the latch I0, whereupon, in responseto the action of spring hinge 3 the cover or lid 8 will spring upwardlyto open position, or substantially to the position suggested in Figure2. The operator then with the thumb to flnger of the other or same handpresses downwardly on the switch button 3| so that switch contact 21will engage switch contact 25 thus establishing the battery circuitthrough the coil 36 caus' ing the coil 36 to glow. In this connection itwill be appreciated that the circuit will be closed as long as thefinger is held on the switch button 30, but as soon as it is releasedthe spring 3| will be efiective and force the button upwardly so as topermit the contact to be broken.

It will also be apparent that the batteries ll may be removed from thecasing 6 orrepositloned therein through the bottom of the casing, thebottom plate I of the casing being easily removed and just as easilyrepositioned on the bottom of the casing 5.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, assembly,operation, and manner of using a lighter of this character will be hadby those skilled in the art without a more detailed description thereof.

It is also to be understood that while I have herein shown and describedthe referred embodiment of the invention it is in nowise intended tolimit the invention beyond the requirements the prior art and the scopeof the claims hereunto attached.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a portable electric lighter of the character described, a casing,a plurality of batteries and an igniter in said casing, a batteryconnector plate engaged with the poles of the batteries, a conductorstrip engaging the batteries at the ends thereof remote from said poles,said conductor strip having a free end constituting a switch contact, aresilient switch contact strip mounted in the casing and having one endelectrically connected with the igniter and a free end arranged to beflexed into and out of engagement with said switch contact, and a springbiased switch button mounted in the casing in engagement with said endof the switch contact strip for flexing said end of the strip intoengagement with the first-named switch contact for controlling thecircuit to the igniter, and an electrical connection between the batteryconnector plate and said igniter.

2. In a portable electric lighter of the character described, a casing,a plurality of batteries and an igniter in said casing, a batteryconnector plate engaged with the poles of the batteries, a conductorstrip engaging the batteries at the ends thereof remote from said poles,said conductor strip having a free end constituting a switch contact, aresilient switch contact strip mounted in the casing and having one endelectrically connected with the igniterand a free end arranged to beflexed into and out of engagement with said switch contact, a springbiased switch button mounted in the casing in engagement with said endof the switch contact strip for flexing said end of the strip intoengagement with the first-named switch contact for controlling thecircuit to the igniter, and a coil spring electrically connecting theigniter and battery connector plate.

' 3. In a portable electric lighter of the character described, acasing, a plurality of batteries and an igniter in said casing, abattery connector plate engaged with the poles of the batteries, aconductor strip engaging the batteries at the ends thereof remote fromsaid poles, said conductor strip having a free end constituting a switchcontact, a resilient switch contact strip mounted in the casing andhaving one end electrically connected with the igniter and a free endarranged to be flexed into and out of engagement with said switchcontact, a spring biased switch button mounted in the casing inengagement with said end of the switch contact strip for flexing saidend of the strip into engagement with the flrst-named switch contact forcontrolling the circuit to the igniter; a coil spring electricallyconnecting the igniter and battery connector plate; a hinge cover forsaid casing substantially housing said switch button and igniter whenthe cover is in closed position, and a resilient latch mechanism forreleasably securing said cover in closed position.

4. In a portable electric lighter, a casing, batteries therein, astationary plate extending across the top of the casing and having anopening therein, an electrical igniter unit including i a body ofnon-conducting material and a coil emof the igniter unit and saidconnector plate and engaging one of the terminals of the coil, aconductor member engaging the lower ends of the batteries and having apart extending up through a side part of the casing, a spring stripconnected with the underside of the stationary plate and having one endconnected with the second terminal of the coil and its other endnormally spaced from the upper end of the conductor strip and a manuallyoperated member carried by the stationary plate for pressing thelast-mentioned end of the spring strip against the upper end of theconductor strip to close the circuit to the coil.

LYLE E. STANARD.

